Chinese companies, including at least one linked to the Communist Party of China, have been sending assault rifles, drone parts and body armies to Russia, according to a new report.
Data obtained by Politico indicates that these shipments to Russia occurred between June and December 2022, well after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
Chinese President Xi Jinping looks to Afghanistan to broaden China’s growing economic interests. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)
The state defense contractor, China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, shipped CQ-A rifles to the Russian company Tekhkrim in June 2022, according to customs data. Although these rifles have been labeled “civilian hunting rifles”, they have been reported to have been used by Chinese paramilitary police.
The data also showed that the Chinese companies had sent 12 shipments of drone parts and more than 12 tons of body armor to the Russian entities.
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It is not clear from customs data that Beijing is shipping these items to Russia with the express purpose of aiding its war effort in Ukraine, as this equipment may be labeled “dual use.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the US State Department for comments on the latest developments.
FILE: Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk during their meeting in Beijing, China February 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin pool photo via AP)
The report comes after officials said last month that the United States was “confident” that China was considering providing lethal aid to Russia to support Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
The United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly warned that any nation, including China, will face swift and severe economic sanctions if they are found to aid Russia’s war effort.
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Beijing has struggled to strike a balance between maintaining constructive relations with the West, condemning the United States for “hysteria,” as Beijing did over the downing of the surveillance balloon, and accusing it of escalating the war by providing defensive aid to the Ukraine.
Caitlin McFall of Fox News contributed to this report.
